Universität Bonn

Department of Economics / BGSE

APPLY at the BGSE
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How to Apply

We encourage outstanding (top 10%) students with a university degree (bachelor or master) in economics or related fields, such as mathematics, statistics, business administration, accounting and finance, to apply for admission.

Three Steps to Apply

1.

Make yourself familiar with the program and admission requirements before you apply.

2.

Read the online application guide carefully and prepare your documents.

3.

Go to the online application portal of the University of Bonn (open from November until January).

If you have already registered you can check the status of your application.

  • The application period for this year's intake has ended.
  • Please check our website regularly for updates on the next application round, which is expected to begin in mid-November.
  • If you have any questions regarding your application to the BGSE, please contact us at info.bgse@uni-bonn.de.
  • The application deadline for the program starting in October is January 15 of the same year.
  • We will accept documents in either English or German. If you have documents written in other languages, you will need to provide a certified translation in either English or German.
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered. In particular, letters of recommendation and other necessary documents that arrive after the deadline imply that the application is incomplete.
  • If you have not yet completed your university degree but will do so before the BGSE program starts, you are of course also invited to apply. In that case, you will be asked to enter relevant information about your current studies during the online application process.
  • PLEASE NOTE: You will need to present a GRE score report and two letters of recommendation to be considered for a scholarship as well as for the conditional offer for the doctoral program.

If you do not intend to go for a doctoral degree, you may want to apply for our regular MSc in Economics.

Application Requirements

You will need the following documents to apply for the MSc/Economic Research Program (incl. a grant application and conditional offer to proceed to our doctoral program):

  • Statement of Academic Purpose
    Your statement of academic purpose should outline your academic background, research interests and career goals, ideally explaining how these align with the expertise of our faculty members. It should also describe your specific research areas of interest and your objectives for graduate study
  • Curriculum Vitae
    Please submit your current curriculum vitae.
  • Two Letters of Recommendation (Uploaded by Your Professors) You are required to submit at least two letters of recommendation. Applications with fewer than two leters of recommendation are incomplete and will not be considered. At least one letter must be provided by a professor who teaches or has taught the applicant during their BA or MA studies.You may submit one additional, third leter of recommendation if you wish. The third letter is optional and is not required for your application to be complete.

Please ask your referees to address, in particular, the following questions:

  • Does the candidate belong to the top 5% or top 10% of their cohort? Please indicate the approximate size of the cohort.
  • Is the candidate likely to perform well in a competitive, structured PhD program with a strong analytical focus?Once you have submited your application, your referees will receive an automatically generated email with upload instructions and a submission link.
  • GRE Score Report (General Test Format)

A GRE score report is required for all applicants.
The minimum required quantitative GRE score is 160. Applicants with a quantitative score below 160 are not eligible to apply. The average quantitative GRE score of successful BGSE applicants is approximately 165.
Please upload a copy of your GRE report and instruct ETS to give the BGSE official access to your scores. The BGSE institution number at ETS is 1359.

        • Proof of English Language Proficiency

A TOEFL, IELTS Academic or Cambridge English certificate is required if English is not your first language and the language of instruction of your previous degree was not exclusively English.
Applicants whose previous degree was taught exclusively in English must provide appropriate confirmation.

Tests taken before January 21, 2026: A TOEFL iBT score of at least 100 with at least 23 in each of the 4 sections is the minimum requirement. Following the introduction of the new TOEFL iBT score scale, we will accept scores under the revised system. These will be assessed in accordance with existing admission standards, with an overall score of 5 corresponding to CEFR level C1.

Tests taken on or after January 21, 2026: Applicants are required to achieve a minimum overall score of 5.0 across all four sections, including a minimum score of 4.5 in each of the Speaking and Writing sections.

Please upload an official copy of your TOEFL report and instruct ETS to give us official access to your scores so that we can confirm them via their online portal. Our (BGSE) institute number at ETS is 1359. If you receive an offer, this TOEFL score verification will be required for final admission.

IELTS in the academic format is also accepted. The minimum requirements for your IELTS score are overall 7.0, with at least 6.5 in Reading, 6.5 in Listening, 7.0 in Writing and 6.5 in Speaking.

Students with TOEFL iBT or IELTS scores below the required minimum are not eligible to apply. If you have not yet met the required scores, we recommend retaking the exam and applying once you have improved your results.

If you have taken a Cambridge Test, you will need the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE), which proves your C1 level.

If English is your first language, please upload a self-declaration.

If the language of instruction for your previous degree was English (the curriculum must have been taught exclusively in English), please upload a confirmation. A screenshot from the program’s official website stating that the language of instruction is English is also acceptable.

      • Academic Transcripts and Degrees
        Please submit your academic transcripts and documentation of your university degree(s). Applicants who have not yet completed their current degree may apply provided that they will complete the degree before the BGSE program starts.
        Documents that are not in English or German must be accompanied by a certified translation into English or German.
      • APS Certificate

Applicants for whom an APS certificate is required must provide the relevant documentation in accordance with the requirements specified on the BGSE application website.